Devices for supplying fluid to a drilling tool



Feb. 23, 1965 A. G. KVELLO-AUNE 3,170,525

' DEVICES FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO A DRILLING 'rooL Filed April 12, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 F ig. 4

K \L\\ I I 45 Feb. 2.3, 1965 A. e. KVELLO-AUNE 3,170,525

DEVICES FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO A DRILLING TOOL Filed April 12, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Alnlll rfi! |l||||.. 0 0 2 ill W: IIJ H l |m l rl ll... 1ll il 1 K l E 6 E l N 5 3 FllL ($11. 4 M 6 x 3 x 3 3 INVENTOR. ALPGMMNERkusLwflun United States Patent Claims. (or. 175-213) This inventionrelates to a device for supplying fluid to a drill tool at one end of astring of hollow drilling elements for flushing, cooling or operatingsaid drilling tool or for other purposes.

In carrying out various forms of deep hole drilling, such as rotarydrilling, percussion drilling or down the hole drilling or the like itis common practice to employ a string of drilling elements which may bescrewed together or otherwise connected in a manner to make possiblesuccessive addition of further drilling elements to the string ofdrilling elements before the uppermost drilling element vanishes intothe ground.

At the leading end of the string a drilling tool or drill bit isprovided which, for example, may consist of a pressure fluid drivenpercussive down the hole drill or a diamond bit or a percussion bit withhard metal inserts or of a roller bit or the like. The type of drillingtool and drill rods or elements used depends upon thekind of drillingcarried out, for example rotary drilling, turbine drilling, calyxdrilling, diamond drilling or percussive drilling. Common to thesevarious types of drilling operation is that a flushing medium isemployed for rinsing or cooling the drilling implements or bits and forremoving and carrying away the drill cuttings, debris and the like. Saidflushing medium may be compressed air or pressure water or a combinationof both, as Well as other compositions in order to bring about thedesired flushing and/ or cooling. In down the hole drilling pressurefluid for operating the down the hole drill must also be supplied tosaid drill through the string of drilling elements.

In carrying out conventional deep hole drilling, for example rotarydrilling, the flushing medium is admitted into a hollow rotating drillpipe or rod by means of a swivel coupling which is supplied withflashing medium from a suitable source. Usually the swivel coupling islocated at the top of the uppermost drill pipe or rod of the string.When a further drilling element is to be added to the string, thedrilling operation has to be interrupted in order to make possibleremoval of the swivel coupling and transfer of said coupling to theupper end of the next drilling element which isto be added to the stringof drillingelements. A serious draw-back of such interruption of thedrilling operation and of the flushing is that a part of the drillcuttings or slurry may settle at the bottom of the bore hole and maycause plugging of the drilling implement. This means that the drill bitbecomes so stuifed with debris as to necessitate retraction of theentire drill string from the bore hole in order to clean the bit, thecore tube or other working implement. Even'if no plugging occurs thetransfer of the swivel coupling from one drilling element to anotherrequires considerable time during which drilling has to be interruptedand such stops reduce the effective drilling time.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a device forsupplying fluid to a drilling tool at one end of a drill string or drillrod making possible the connection of a further drilling element to saiddrill string while drilling is in progress and without interruption ofthe fluid supply to the drilling tool.

3,170,525 Patented Feb. 23, 1965 Another object of the invention is tomake possible a switching over of the fluid or flushing medium supplyfrom one drilling element to the following while drilling is inprogress.

Another object of the invention is to make possible efiicient andunhindered feeding of the drill string while switching over the fluidsupply from one drilling element to the following during progress of thedrilling.

A still further object of the invention is to make possible a continuoussupply of fluid or flushing medium to the drilling tool through saidstring during drilling and feeding of the drilling elements of thestring one after the other into the ground.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become.apparent hereinafter as this description proceeds, reference being madeto the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of adevice according to the invention.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional vie-w through aportion of a drill string provided with a device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section on line 11-11 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a coupling device for a supply hose for fluidsuch as flushing medium;

FIG. 4 is a section on line IV--IV in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a portion of a drill string with two couplingdevices for fluid in attached position and FIGURE 6 is a side view ofthe drill bit end of the string in a drill hole.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a hollow drill string comprising drillingelements 1 and 32 provided with internal threads at 2 and 31 forconnection of a threaded connecting element 3, the outer diameter ofwhich is equal to the diameter of the drilling element except for anelongated, substantially cylindrical annular recess 4. In the recess 4there is located a rotatable swivel bushing 5 having a wall thicknesssomewhat smaller than the depth of the recess 4 so that the outerdiameter of the bushing substantially corresponds to the outer diameterof the drill string. The swivel bushing 5 is provided with a radialaperture 6 therethrough which leads into a peripherial annular groove 7in the element 3. Between the groove 7 and an axial passage 10 throughthe element 3 a conduit 8 extends having a one-way valve 12 therein,comprising a ball 13 which is biased against a valve seat 14 in saidconduit by a suitable spring 15 disposed in a spring chamber 16. Theconduit 8 is connected to the passage 10 by a bore 9.

The passage 10 communicates to the left in FIG. 1 with a passage 11 inthe hollow drilling element or drill pipe 1. To the right in FIG. 1there is arranged a one-way valve 20 in the passage 10, said valvecomprising a ball 21, which is biased against a seat 22 by means of aspring 23. The spring 23 is concentrically supported in the element 3 ona suitable shoulder formed by a washer 24 interposed between, the parts3b and 3c of the connection element 3. The one-way valve 269 onlypermits flow of fluid to the left in FIG. 1 through the element 3.

In order to be able to assemble the bushing 5 in the recess 4 andfurther for locating the one-way valves 12 and 20, the element 3 ispreferably made in two parts 311 and 3c fitted together at 30. Theseparts may be pressed, screwed or joined together in any other suitableway. To the right in FIG. 1 the element 3 is provided with externalthreads 31 for screwing on the next drilling element 32, indicated inchain dotted lines in FIG. 1..

The connecting element 3 and the swivel bushing 5 appear also from FIG.2, which is a cross-section on line IIII in FIG. 1, and in FIG. 5.Externally at both ends the swivel bushing 5 is provided with twoperipheral grooves 35, 36, which at points diametrically opposed tolevers 40 and 41, which are pivotally connected to each other by meansof a rivet 43. The levers itiand 41 form a pliers-like device havingjaws 44, 45 and shanks 46,. 47. The jaws are formed for being connectedto the swivel of a connecting element 3 as obvious from FIG. 5. From theface of the jaw 44 project two lugs 50,51, which are spaced apart andsized to fit into the grooves and36 of, the swivel bushing 5 and to beable to enter the recesses 37, 38.

The jaw 45 has a bore 52, the axis 53 of which points. '7

half-way between the lugs. 5t and 51. At the 'face of the: jaw 45 isprovided a packing gland 54 of rubber or plastic around the bore 52,while the supply hose for the fluid from'a suitable fluid source, notshown, is coupled to the outer part of the bore, for example by means ofa threaded nipple 56 as indicated in FIG. 4.

The shanksdd, 47 of the levers 4t), 41 are provided. with a spanner 68,consisting of a left and right hand threaded screw til-engaging threadsin two nuts 76 in the V shanks 46, 4'7, and further provided with awheel 6% which, when rotated, moves the levers 4d, 41 relative to eachother.

FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 6 illustrate in three broken apart portions thedevice according to the invention as applied for continuously supplyingflushing water to a rotating drill string during addition of furtherdrilling ele rnents. It is supposed that a leading drilling element 10:

carrying a tool such as a diamond bit 69 has penetrated the ground 71and produced a hole 72. The drilling element 'la is provided at theupper end with a connecting element.

3, not shown, which together with the element 1 forms a drill string.The element 1 has at the top a connecting element 36; and attachedthereto a coupling device 40aof the types described in connection withFIGS. 1 m4.

Suppose now that during drilling operation a further drilling element 32and a connecting element 3 is connected to the drill string and thatflushing medium has to be admitted therethrough into the drill stringprojecting above ther coupling device at is attached to the connectingelement 3 on top of the added drilling element 32. Such attachment iseasy, when the wheel 62 has been turned so that the device 46 may graspover the element 3 and the lugs 50, 51 enter the guide grooves 35, 3dand ride in said grooves until they engage the recesses 37, 38, in awhich position the device 49 is fastened to the swivel bushing 5 of thedrill string by turning the wheel 62 so that the jaws44, firmlyrengagethe bushing 5 with the drilling machine, not illustrated. To this end afurthe'packing gland 54 and opening52 registering with the aperture 6.Flushing 'water may now be supplied through the device 40 and the supplythrough the device 40a may be interrupted by closure of a notillustrated valve in the hose to the device 40a, which may naturally beremoved by loosening the spanner screw 61. The above operation may berepeated when further drilling elements 1 and connecting elements 3 areadded to the drill string. It would be obvious that flushing water orany fluid .supf plied under suficientlpressure through the device 40a or40 will enter the passages 10, 11 through the conduits 8 and flow downthe drill string and escape through the flushing water passage 73 in thebit to the drill hole 72 to carry away debris and cool the bit. In orderto prevent leakage of flushing medium between the swivel bushing 5 andthe element 3 it is preferred to provide packingringsr67, 68, forexample made of rubber, as indicated in'FIG.'1.

I The embodiment of the invention above described and illustratedin the.drawings should only be considered as an example and the invention maybe modified in several different ways within the scope of the followingclaims. It should, for instance, be understood that a similar device asdescribed could be used'for continuously supplying pressure fluid to adown the hole drill providedat the lower end of a string of drill pipeelements for operating such a drill and for flushing the hole. Thedevice could also be used in connection with more or less conventionalpercussion drilling with coupleddrill steels or drill pipes.

What I claim is: a 1. In apparatus of the character'described forsupplying fluid toa rotating drilling toolat one end of a drill stringformed of a. number ofequivalent detachable hollow drilling elementsduring rotation thereof 'froma nonrotating source of fluid, thecombination which comprises 7 a connecting element for interconnectingadjoining said hollow drilling elements .in said drill string, alongitudinally extending internal passageway in said connecting elementfor leading said fluid therethrough from one said hollow-drillingelement to the next and forming with said hollow drilling elements acontinuous passage leading throughout said drill string to said tool,-means at each opposite end of said connecting element forinterconnectingsuccessive hollow drilling elements thereto, first oneway valve means insaid passage and permitting flow through said passage in the directiontoward said drilling tool but preventing flow in the opposite direction,a conduit leading transversely into said connecting element from theoutside thereof to said passage, second one-way valvemeans forpermitting fluid flow through said conduit into said passage butpreventing flow in the opposite direction'and effective downstream of said first one-way valve means, a swivel bushing rotatably disposed aroundsaid connecting element and adjacent said conduit, means for maintainingthe axial positioning of said swivel bushing on said connecting element,an inlet opening in said swivel bushing for introduction of fluid flowtherethrough,

and means providing flow communication from said inlet opening in saidbushing to said conduit into said longitudinal passage in substantiallyall angular positions of said bushing with respect to i said connectingelement during relative rotation thereof. 7 e i 2. A connecting elementaccording to claim 1 in which said swivel bushing is disposed ina-peripheral' annular groove in'said connecting element and hassubstantially no greater maximum diameter than said element.

3. ,A fiuid supply coupling device for engagement with l a connectingelement as recited in claim l and comprising a tong-like member havingtwo jaws adapted for clamping engagement around said swivel bushing,means on one of said jaws for interlocking engagement around the outsideof said bushing, passage means through the other of said jaws forengagement inflow communication with 7 said passage in said bushingcommunicating with saidv conduit, means for supplying fluid throughsaidpassage in said jaw forflow thereof "into said connecting element,

and means on said tong-like member for maintaining it in clamping andoperativelypositioned engagement with said swivel bushing. I

4. A device for. supplying fluid toa drilling tool at one end of arotary drill string having a source of fluid and a comprising aconnecting element adapted to form a joint between adjoining drillingelements in a. string of a number of equivalent detachable hollowdrilling elements,

a longitudinally extending internal passagein said 'connecting elementfor leading fluid therethroughtosaid tool, a first oneway valve meanslocated in said passage and permitting flow through said'fpassage in thedirection towards said drilling tool but. preventingflow in the oppositedirection, a conduit leading transversely through said connectingelement from'the outside thereof to said passage, asecond oneway valvemeans in. said conduit permitting flow of pressure fluid from theoutside through Mel-u =3 said conduit into said passage but preventingflow in the opposite direction, bushing means disposed around saidconnecting element and rotatable with respect thereto, and couplingmeans connected to said bushing means for swivelly connecting saidsource of fluid to said conduit from the outside of said connectingelement, and means between said bushing means and said connectingelement for providing free flow communication for said fluid betweensaid coupling means and said transverse conduit in said connectingelement in substantially all angular positions of said bushing meanswith respect to said connecting element.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which a peripheral annular recessis located on said connecting member and includes a peripheral annulargroove communicating with said conduit, and in which said swivel bushingis rotatably mounted in said recess of said connecting member, andhaving a passage through the wall of said bushing communicating withsaid groove, said coupling means being clamped to said bushing andcommunicating with said bushing passage.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 which also includes means disposedexternally on said bushing for receiving said coupling means, meansdisposed on said coupling means for cooperating with said external meanson said bushing, and a fluid opening in said coupling means in flowcommunication with said passage in said bushing for supplying fluid fromsaid source into said connecting element.

7. In an apparatus of the character described for supplying fluid to adrilling tool at one end of a rotary drill string having a source offluid and a connecting element for interconnecting adjoining drillingelements in a string of a number of equivalent detachable hollowdrilling elements, the combination which comprises a longitudinallyextending internal passage in said connecting element for leading fluidtherethrough to said tool, a first one-way valve located in said passageand permitting flow through said passage in the direction toward saiddrilling tool but preventing flow in the opposite direction, a conduitleading through said connecting element from the outside thereof to saidpassage, a second one-way valve in said conduit permitting flow of fluidfrom the outside through said conduit into said passage but preventingflow in the opposite direction and effective at a point downstream insaid flow from said first one-way valve, a peripheral annular recess onsaid connecting element, a peripheral annular groove in said recesscommunicating with said conduit, a swivel bushing rotably mounted insaid recess and including a passage communicating with said groove, atong-like coupling member having two jaws for grasping around saidswivel bushing, a fluid supply passage on one of said jaws opening intoa portion of the jaw for engaging said bushing passage, annular guidegrooves on the periphery of said swivel bushing, lugs on said other jawadapted to engage said guide grooves, recesses in said guide grooves,said recesses being engaged by said lugs when said other jaw is inposition to provide fluid communication to said bushing passage, andmeans for holding said coupling member in clamped position on saidswivel bushing.

8. In an apparatus of the character described for supplying fluid to arotating drilling tool at one end of a drill string during rotationthereof from a non-rotating source of fluid, a connecting element forforming a joint between adjoining drilling elements in a string of anumber of equivalent detachable hollow drilling elements, saidconnecting element having a longitudinal passage extending therein witha one-way valve allowing flow to said drilling tool but not in thereverse direction and a conduit extending therein from the outside ofsaid connecting element to said longitudinal passage with a secondone-way valve means effective downstream of said aforementioned one-wayvalve therein for allowing flow to said longitudinal passage but not inthe opposite direction, and a bushing relatively rotatable around saidconnecting element and having two annular guide grooves in the peripherythereof two recesses in said grooves and an opening communicating withsaid conduit, the combination which comprises a tong-like couplingdevice having two jaws for grasping said bushing, a fluid supply passagein one of said jaws opening into a portion of the jaw engaging theperiphery of said bushing at the opening therein of said conduit, twolugs on the said other jaw for engaging said guide grooves on theperiphery of said bushing and said recesses in said guide grooves whensaid first jaw is in position to provide flow communication to saidtransverse conduit in said connecting element, and means for holdingsaid coupling device in engagement on said connecting element.

9. In apparatus of the character described for supplying fluid to arotating drilling tool at one end of a drill string formed of a numberof equivalent detachable hollow drilling elements during rotationthereof from a nonrotating source of fluid, the combination whichcomprises a connecting element for interconnecting adjoining saiddrilling elements in said dnill string, a longitudinally extendinginternal passageway in said connecting element for leading said fluidtherethrough from one said hollow drilling element to the next andforming with said hollow drilling elements a continuous passage leadingthroughout said drill string to said tool, a conduit leading throughsaid connecting element from the outside thereof into said internalpassage, valve means in said connecting element for selectivelypermitting fluid flow through said internal passage in the directiontoward said tool while preventing flow in the opposite direction and forpermitting fluid flow through said conduit from the outside into saidpassage while preventing fluid flow in the opposite direction, a swivelbushing disposed on said connecting element for rotation with respectthereto, means for holding said swivel bushing against axialdisplacement with respect to said connecting element upon relativerotation thereof, an inlet passage in said swivel bushing and in flowcommunication with said conduit in said connecting element insubstantially all angular positions of said bushing during said rotationof said bushing with respect to said connecting element, and means forsupplying fluid to said inlet passage in said swivel bushing for flowtherefrom through said conduit into said internal passage in saidconnecting element.

10. In apparatus of the character described for supplying fluid to arotating drilling tool at one end of a drill string formed of a numberof equivalent detachable hollow drilling elements during rotationthereof from a non-rotating source of fluid, the combination whichcomprises a connecting element for interconnecting adjoining said hollowdrilling elements in said drill string, a longitudinally extendinginternal passageway in said connecting element for leading said fluidtherethrough from one said hollow drilling element to the next andforming with said hollow drilling elements a continuous passage leadingthroughout said drill string to said tool, means at each opposite end ofsaid connecting element for interconnecting successive hollow drillingelements thereto, first one-way valve means in said passage andpermitting flow through said passage in the direction toward saiddrilling tool but preventing flow in the opposite direction, a conduitleading transversely into said connecting element from the outsidethereof to said passage, second one-way valve means for permitting fluidflow through said conduit into said passage but preventing flow in theopposite direction and eifective downstream of said first one-way valvemeans, a swivel bushing rotatably disposed around said connectingelement and adjacent said conduit, means for maintaining the axialpositioning of said swivel bushing on said connecting element, an inletopening in said swivel bushing for introduction of fluid flowtherethrough, means providing flow communication from said inlet openingin said 'bushing to said conduit into said longitudinal passagejinbetween said fluid supply passage in said coupling device substantiallyall angular positions of said bushing with and said fluidinlet openingin said swivel bushingn respect to said connecting element duringrelative rotation thereof, a coupling device for engaging saidswivel'bush- References Cited in the file of'this patent ing and havinga fluid supply passage therein, means on 5 a UNITED STATES PATENTS saidcoupling device and said'swdvel bushing for said 339,630 Douglass A 133engagement thereof whereby. said coupling device holds a 345,3 5 Wi F b,26, 1907 said swivel bushing against rotation and including means 915230 Si l i ral Mar, 16, 1909 for axially positioning said couplingdevice with respect 1,499,851 Brown July l, 1924 to said fluid bushingfor direct flow communication 10 2,158,356 Dyer ,'May16,'1939

10. IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO AROTATING DRILLING TOOL AT ONE END OF A DRILL STRING FORMD OF A NUMBER OFEQUILAVENT DETACHABLE HOLLOW DRILLING ELEMENTS DURING ROTATION THEREOFFROM A NON-ROTATING SOURCE OF FLUID, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES ACONNECTING ELEMENT FOR INTERCONNECTING ADJOINING SAID HOLLOW DRILLINGELEMENTS INS AID DRILL STRING, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING INTERNALPASSAGEWAY IN SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT FOR LEADING SAID FLUIDTHERETHROUGH FROM ONE SAID HOLLOW DRILLING ELEMENTS A CONTINUOUS FORMINGWITH SAID HOLLOW DRILLING ELEMENTS A CONTINUOUS PASSAGE LEADINGTHROUGHOUT SAID DRILL STRING TO SAID TOOL, MEANS AT EACH OPPOSITE END OFSAID CONNECTING ELEMENT FOR INTERCONNECTING SUCCESSIVE HOLLOW DRILLINGELEMENTS THERETO, FIRST ONE-WAY VALVE MEANS IN SAID PASSAGE ANDPERMITTING FLOW THROUGH SAID PASSAGE IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD SAIDDRILLING TOOL BUT PREVENTING FLOW IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, A CONDUITLEADING TRANSVERSELY INTO SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT FROM THE OUTSIDETHEREOF TO SAID PASSAGE, SECOND ONE-WAY VALVE MEANS FOR PERMITING FLUIDFLOW THROUGH SAID CONDUIT INTO SAID PASSAGE BUT PREVENTING FLOW IN THEOPPOSITE DIRECTION AND EFFECTIVE DOWNSTREAM OF SAID FIRST ONE-WAY VALVEMEANS, A SWIVEL BUSHING ROTATABLY DISPOSED AROUND SAID CONNECTINGELEMENT AND ADJACENT SAID CONDUIT, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE AXIALPOSITIONING OF SAID SWIVEL BUSHING ON SAID CONNECTING ELEMENT, AN INLETOPENING IN SAID SWIVEL BUSHING FOR INTRODUCTION OF FLUID FLOWTHERETHROUGH, MEANS PROVIDING FLOW COMMUNICATION FROM SAID INLET OPENINGIN SAID BUSHING TO SAID CONDUIT INTO SAID LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE INSUBSTANTIALLY ALL ANGULAR POSITIONS OF SAID BUSHING WITH RESPECT TO SAIDCONNECTING ELEMENT DURING RELATIVE ROTATION THEREOF, A COUPLIND DEVICEFOR ENGAGING SAID SWIVEL BUSHING AND HAVING A FLUID SUPPLY PASSAGETHEREIN, MEANS ON SAID COUPLING DEVICE AND SAID SWIVEL BUSHING FOR SAIDENGAGEMENT THEREOF WHEREBY SAID COUPLING DEVICE HOLDS SAID SWIVELBUSHING AGAINST ROTATION AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR AXIALLY POSITIONINGSAID COUPLING DEVICE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLUID SUPPLY PASSAGE IN SAIDCOUPLING DEVICE BETWEEN SAID FLUID SUPPLY PASSAGE IN SAID COUPLINGDEVICE AND SAID FLUID INLET OPENING IN SAID SWIVEL BUSHING.